Wearing You
by Artistic-Chaos
Summary: Heavy angst/comfort. Nico never thought leaving Percy after the war was won would have such drastic consequences. How is he to heal someone so broken, when he barely knows what broke him in the first place? Eventual Nicercy. Two chapters only. Stress write, possibly out of character due to this. Possibly triggering.


Hey everyone, it's Tani! I'm so happy you're all enjoying _Fourteen Days_, and I really love writing it! However I've been having a bit of a bad week...so I wanted a comfort drabble for myself. I promise I'll get back to writing _Fourteen Days_ as soon as I can, but right now I'm in the mood for huddling under blankets and crying a bit haha. Also maybe because I want Takara to make another cute one-shot haha.

**WARNING: POSSIBLY TRIGGERING, VERY ANGSTY. Read at your own risk.**

**Wearing You**

_Nicercy/Percico_

At first, it hadn't been too noticeable. It had taken months for Percy and Jason to convince Nico to return to Camp Half-Blood for good. Nobody told Nico how bad it had become for the raven haired boy in his absence. Sure, the Italian had noticed the slow curving of his cheeks as his weight vanished slowly but decisively, but Iris messages weren't exactly the greatest for determining someone's appearance. The first time he returned to camp, shadows melting off him like rainwater off the worn leather of the jacket spread over his broad shoulders, he'd been greeted by Jason. Of course, the golden boy was the only one Nico had told to expect him, so a welcome back was practically warranted. The tan wonder boy clapped a hand across his shoulder, only for a look of shock to cross his chiseled features. Nico smirked, realizing they were in fact eye-to-eye after his recent growth spurt. Hades was tall in his mortal form, and it had been Bianca to receive his mother's height, so he was quite smug that he'd shed his slighter frame. His frame had filled out with no wars or baddies to hide from, the warm sheen of his skin returning beneath his mother land's healing rays. Sick of being unable to cut his hair efficiently during the war, he'd gotten it cut short, trimmed in a ghost of an undercut that had grown out since his last trim. A calloused hand rose to sift through it easily, giving an awkward quirk of his lips to the son of Jupiter in response to his welcome.

"Wow, di Angelo! You really filled out, didn't you?" Jason laughed good-naturedly, making Nico roll his eyes and jab his arm out to punch Jason's arm solidly. The other demigod winced and waved him away, laughing, knowing he deserved the bruise sure to bloom at the point of impact. Nico had never liked being teased, even if this Nico was far more tolerant. Together the two turned, walking down the worn dirt path that branched off from the forest. Nico's hands automatically found home in the soft leather of his jacket pockets, Jason lacing his behind his head as he walked. It was pleasantly silent for a few precious moments, but Nico was safe to assume Jason wasn't going to let it stay that way for long. Might as well beat him to it.

"So, Grace. What all have I missed? How are things?"

Jason's face fell, and his arms followed suit, clearly uncomfortable as they came to cross almost defensively in front of his chest. He tried to shake it off with a hesitant laugh, clearly formulating a lie in his head. Nico narrowed his eyes suspiciously, comment pending for after Jason had spoken, ready to call him on his lie. But it seemed it was unnecessary, Jason caught the look and sighed softly.

"Not...not good, Nico. I'm not sure it's my place to tell you, but it's probably safer if I do. Annabeth broke up with Percy, because of something that happened in Tartarus. Something that made him seem dangerous to her. It really...it really broke him, dude. He was already going to break up with her, he didn't feel that way about her anymore, but knowing she was afraid of him really hurt him." Jason bit his lip, the scar upon it stretching with the motion, a troubled look in his eyes as his brow drew close and tight in worry. There was something more, and Nico could tell, his own frown deep. Percy and Annabeth, broken up? He couldn't help the hope that fluttered alongside the worry in his chest, knowing it was ridiculous to even assume that the incident would change things for him.

"Go on, you're not telling me everything," Nico urged firmly, eyes now settled on Jason like a magnet with this new information. Jason sighed and fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable, but relented under Nico's dark ebony gaze.

"He kind of retreated from everybody. He's...well, he's afraid of himself now, too, I guess. He started dating this kid, one of the Roman Legionnaires who came during the demigod peace trades. Son of Mars. Though with how Ares and Percy get along, I think it was more him punishing himself. And it kind of worked. Lance was...well, he was kind of abusive. Percy hid it from us pretty well, even if he could have killed Lance without blinking an eye. He accepted it because he wanted punishment for all the deaths he thinks he ever caused, for making people afraid of him. But it was more than physical, you see-" Jason was abruptly cut off as Nico manhandled him off the path, slamming him bodily into the nearest tree, sending the dryad within into a frenzy as she separated from the bark and ran off. Nico didn't care, pushing into Jason's face, scowl so deep it was an imitation of the wolf look Jason knew so well.

"You're telling me this guy _hurt Percy? _And _nobody noticed or intervened_?!" It was shouted through gritted teeth, jaw thick with muscle as his eyes flashed dangerously, hand automatically going for the hilt of his sword. Jason held his hands up in surrender, slowly moving one to remove the hand clenched tightly into the collar of his shirt.

"Nico, you have to listen. Let me finish."

Nico was frozen for a few moments more as if still contemplating murdering everyone in camp for not stepping in to protect his Sea Prince, but after a few long seconds he growled softly and released the son of Jupiter with a sharp nod to continue. Not long after he began walking again, fists balled at his sides instead of inside his jacket, on edge after the information he'd just received. Why would Percy allow someone so weak to hurt him? Percy could bring Olympus to its knees at his mercy, he could kill any demigod without a second thought, so what was preventing him from doing so to this Lance guy? Then again, if Percy wanted to punish himself for things he thought were his doing...Nico could see that being a reason on Percy's part.

"Anyways, Lance found out a secret Percy had been keeping, and he switched to manipulation along with abuse. He started saying pretty awful things, nobody really knows the exact wording, Percy's barely spoken a word in the past few months. But he stopped eating, he never comes out of his cabin, and if he does it's to train or disappear into the ocean for a few days. I think he's cutting, since Clarisse and Leo kicked Lance's ass and then let Poseidon deal with him." A shiver went up Jason's back, face a little pale at the idea of what Poseidon could have done to Lance. But sneaking a look at Nico's face, he changed his mind. He'd rather be thrown to Poseidon than to Nico, if he were Lance.

Nico ran a hand through his hair and sighed harshly, camp coming into sight, the bustle of the day thrumming softly in his ears. What was he supposed to say? Percy's survival guilt was the strongest Nico had ever encountered, of course he knew it was possible for the Sea Prince to fall this low. But it didn't mean he wanted to accept it. Percy had kept strong through so many wars, prophecies, and interruptions of life. Then again, didn't that give him even more reason to break now? In peace time? But what was Nico supposed to do? He'd stubbornly avoided Percy for months, when he had taken time to himself, not even letting Jason in contact with him. Added on top of the extra few months of Iris messaging and begging from Percy to come back, he was hardly in the picture anymore.

A stab of guilt pierced him as he realized exactly what he had done. Percy had _begged_ him to come back. Maybe if Nico had listened...if he'd stopped being so stubborn...Percy wouldn't have gone to Lance. Wouldn't have started self-harming or starving himself. Nico rubbed his hands over his face, trying to refrain from the frustrated tears that demanded to be shed. Jason placed a hand on his shoulder, warm and secure. Understanding.

"Maybe you should go talk to him, Nico," Jason said softly, breaking Nico's reverie. Hands were removed as he straightened up, sighing and clenching his eyes shut. Did he have the nerve? Would Percy forgive him for being absent when he needed Nico most?

He couldn't dwell on it. Percy needed him. So he turned, Jason's hand falling easily off his shoulder, and the sky prince watched him walk away with a sad look on his face before he too turned and walked away.

**Wearing You**

It wasn't hard to find Percy's cabin. Nico knew the path by heart after all. But knocking was the hard part. His hand hovered above the sea green wood of the door separating him and his Sea Prince. Finally he sighed and lowered it to knock softly. Entering through the door wasn't really his thing, but for once he thought Percy deserved the respect and privacy of the action. Inside he could hear shuffling, and Percy's soft voice came to him through the door, hoarse and angry.

"Leave me alone, Jason! I told you I'm fine! Just go-!"

The door was thrown open and Percy's breath left him in a whimper.

Staring up at the Italian he'd been waiting on to return for months now, all words died on his tongue. Similarly, Nico stared down at the tiny thing that had become his beloved, feeling sickness churn in his stomach. After Tartarus Percy had already been small. So had Nico when he'd first fallen. It sped the degeneration of muscle, weakened you in every way including physical so that you were easier prey. But now, Percy was barely a skeleton, and Nico knew exactly what those looked like. His hair was a mess, eyes so dark with lack of sleep he looked bruised, and his collarbones were jutting out like a choker of bone. One of his camp shirts was hanging off him, slipped off one shoulder in a pathetically obvious display of how far Percy had really fallen.

Time restarted and Percy choked on a pathetic sound, immediately slamming the door in Nico's face. It took a good minute for Nico to even realize what had happened, and he was immediately trying the doorknob. Clearly locked. Cursing he began to pound on the door with his fist, uncaring of the attention he was drawing to himself as he began to raise his voice so Percy could hear him.

"Percy come on! Open up! We need to talk!"

There was no answer. Scowling, Nico silently told himself _you asked for this_ and melted into the nearest shadow. Seconds later he was in Percy's room, watching the demigod running about shoving clothes in a bag in a panic. When he saw Nico he screeched and slid on a stray t-shirt, falling in a crash to the ground where he lay whimpering. He looked so defeated, not even attempting to move, and it broke Nico's heart to see him so broken.

The Italian moved slowly, approaching Percy as he might a wounded animal, keeping his palms open and arms outstretched to show he had nothing to hide. Percy watched him with dead, hopeless eyes as he moved closer, but didn't make any move to run or get away. Nico would consider that a small win for now.

Nico slowly got on his knees, arms widening to hesitantly wrap around the stone-still son of Poseidon. Only when he had Percy firmly in his hold and pressed to his chest did the frail boy begin to sob as if he hadn't in years.

All through it Nico held him. He had all the time in the world for Percy. This was only the first step to healing.

**Wearing You**

This is only going to be two chapters! Sorry for the possible OOCness and the huge clump of angst, but stress writing makes me feel better. The title will make more sense by the second chapter.


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